


Beyond Inkopolis

by Glamourous



Category: Splatoon
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Has a bit of Pearlina in it too, Kiiiind of a ship fic, Multi, Octo Expansion DLC, Octo Expansion DLC Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:41:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29553000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glamourous/pseuds/Glamourous
Summary: This is it. The final countdown. Everything depends on this very moment. Tartar has to be stopped! If not, then there's no hope for the inklings or octolings of Inkopolis... or anywhere really. There is no room for error. The entire world depends on it!But you can't always be there for the world. It's not like the movies where everything turns out how you'd like. Sometimes you fail, and everything you know and love is demolished before your eyes, with only a few of your friends left alive. Then what can you do? There's no rewriting the past this time around...
Relationships: Agent 3 & Agent 8 (Splatoon), Agent 3 & Cap'n Cuttlefish, Agent 3/Agent 8 (Splatoon), Agent 8 & Cap'n Cuttlefish, Marina & Pearl (Splatoon), Marina/Pearl (Splatoon)
Kudos: 7





	Beyond Inkopolis

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sure this story idea has already been done before, but I wanted to do my own interpretation of it. Also I'm using the male agent 8 and 3 simply because I want to make a ship story for them that isn't yaoi (not saying all stories for them are yaoi, just want to make another more story based story for this ship you know?) Though you can picture them as whatever gender you'd like.

_This is the story of how we saved the world. I remember like it was yesterday. Sure, everything that happened before was interesting enough, but this is where things get_ tense. After _the metro rescue, we were confronted by the telephone, or I guess "Tartar" as he called himself. Yeah, It turns out his plan was to destroy all of us and make a new world or something. Obviously he had to be stopped, and we all tried our absolute hardest to make sure it happened..._

This was it.

The final countdown.

Everything depended on this moment. And Agent 8 was already falling behind.

It wasn't by much: only a few seconds. Yet those few seconds could spell doom for all inklings and octolings alike if Agent 8 couldn't get his act together. It had just reached the minute mark, as stated by Marina as she fired a set of ink bombs at the head of the towering human statue. Agent 8 watched at one of the last bombs on the right arm exploded under his fire. Only one left to go.

It was surprising how calm Agent 8 was under pressure, but then again he had spent the last week or so (at least that's what he assumed, it was hard to tell time in the metro) undergoing rigorous trials and stations that often put him under pressure. He must have gotten used to the feeling.

It was nothing like this though. In all of the trials beforehand he had multiple opportunities. And of course, the world wasn't at stake. He would only get one chance this time, so everything had to be perfect.

Agent 8 found that deep breathing helped. He had learned from past experience that stressing out only ever made things worse. So he took a deep breath, and dove into the ink covering the side of a wall so that he could reach the last bombs at the top. It was a perfect strategy, from here he had a perfect shot of the target that would bring him to the ink rails. Once he had shot the last pink bomb, Agent 8 wasted no time, making his way to the ink rails without bothering to turn back.

The ink rails were a quick way to get around the statue, and Agent 8 was ever grateful for them, even if they were apart of some of his least favorite stations. The wind whipped past his face, his hair flowing behind him and luckily out of his face as he made his way to the first blue bomb. Some time was lost, but if Agent 8 hurried and rushed through the rails as an octopus whenever possible, he would hopefully reach all the bombs in time. Marina had done her part, it was up to Agent 8 now.

Agent 8 wasn't sure what the time was by the time he had reached the fifth bomb, but it didn't matter. He wasn't even sure if it would make a difference if he knew, since he was already hurrying as fast as possible. The seventh bomb was down: three to go.

The entire time the statue had been shaking under the pressure of the charging beam, but it was nothing Agent 8 couldn't handle. The mild shuddering of the stone beneath him made no difference when on the ink rails, and he could easily slide through the ink without a problem even when on the statue. Soon it wouldn't make any difference at all, as Agent 8 shot down the eighth bomb. Two more left, then they were home free.

Agent 8 felt the shuddering once again, even when riding the ink rails. He held his breath. That must've meant that the beam was close to charging. He just had to get these last bombs...

A sudden force knocked the wind out of Agent 8, and he was already plummeting when he realized what happened. He heard a rumble, and realized that the statue must have shook him off the ink rails while he was busy shooting. He must have lost his foothold. Agent 8 saw the dark, lapping ocean below, with nothing to catch his fall. He could have fallen anywhere else, where a nice bouncy platform would be waiting to send him back up. But instead, only the cold depths of the sea awaited him. In a panic, Agent 8 reached out for the closest thing nearby, perhaps a crevice in the human statue could serve as a handhold. What he found himself gripping, however, felt nothing like slick stone or water enveloping his entire body. Instead, he felt the twisting cord of another ink rail in his clutches. It must have been one winding down the base of the statue that had eluded his gaze, one that would inevitably save his life. 

Well, the few seconds of life he had left.

Agent 8 _had_ to get back to the head of the statue. It was a sort of panic that overtook any sort of reasoning he had left. The ink that once served as a guide to success now swirled around Agent 8 tauntingly. It rushed past his hands like a rapid river, almost like it had somewhere important to be. It sent a chill down the octoling's spine, one that was only rivaled by the water inches below him. Agent 8 tried to think desperately for a plan, but the only thought that came to mind, turning into octo form to ride back up the rails, could easily lead to failure if he instead fell into the water. So there Agent 8 was, dangling helplessly above the deadly waters while the plan fell apart before him.

"Agent 8, are you there?!" A familiar voice rang in. Marina's tone was laced with panic over the static of the radio.

"Come in Agent 8!" Pearl's much more fearful voice rang in.

Agent 8 struggled to find an answer, all his energy being put into keeping hold of the rail. He only found himself able to yell out two words.

"Down here!"

The faint music had long since been covered by the sound of the small crashing waves below, but Agent 8 could swear he heard it grow louder. Come to think of it, the whir of the helicopter also seemed to be coming back into earshot. Agent 8 gripped the ink rail tighter, the metal and ink starting to turn his hands raw. A rush of air hit Agent 8 from behind, and he turned around with wide eyes to see the chopper flying close behind him. A long ladder descended from the helicopter, reaching just below Agent 8's feet. The end of the ladder dipped in the ocean below, causing the whole thing the sway back and forth.

"Climb on 8! Hurry!" Pearl called from somewhere above. 

Agent 8 looked hesitantly at the frail ladder dangling behind him. If he tried to grab it now, there'd be a good chance he'd plunge into the water instead. But with the increasing soreness in his hands and feeling of slipping from the ink rails, he realized his options were limited. With a deep breath and eyes clenched close, Agent 8 swung his legs and let go of the rail. For a moment he wasn't sure whether he had successfully made it to the ladder, that is until he opened his eyes and saw Pearl. She held onto the ladder with one hand, and with the other she gripped Agent 8's wrist like it was life or death. And well, technically it was.

"Come on 8! We don't have much time!

It was a quick climb to the helicopter, but what would happen next Agent 8 wasn't sure. He looked up at the two bombs left on the statue's head, patches of stone grey contrasting starkly with the bright color of the ink. Agent 8's heart stopped, both with realization that he had failed and hope that it wouldn't be too late. He pleaded silently that it wouldn't be too late.

"We failed." Marina's eyes were wide with horror as she stared at the screen of her laptop. "It's too late. He's going to fire" Marina said loudly over the whir of the helicopter's blades and charging beam of the statue.

"No!" Pearl cried. "We blocked most of the charge! We can still win!"

Pearl pulled over a hefty object and set it front of her. Agent 8 watched as the machine turned on, ready for whatever would happen next. It was almost familiar, like Agent 8 had seen it once in his past. But it didn't matter what it was, only what Pearl planned to do with it.

"I suppose we could still try..." Marina said. "But Pearl wait for my-"

"BOOYAHHH!"

A loud cry echoed throughout the surrounding area, and a beam of concentrated ink erupted from the machine. 

"Wait Pearl! Not yet-"

The sound of laughter could be heard, like sharp nails scratching against a chalkboard. A rumble shook the world around them, and before Agent 8 had any time to react a loud blast emanated from nearby. He stumbled, struggling to find something to hold onto to keep from falling over. Something caught his eye, a flash of green in the corner. Agent 8 turned his head just as color filled his vision. His eyes widened as he saw the beam of sanitized ink blast it's way towards him, ready to destroy anything in it's path with no escape for the inklings and octolings there. He clenched his eyes closed, preparing for whatever would happen next. Expecting to feel his entire body enveloped in pain, Agent 8 was surprised at what he saw moments later when he peeked his eyes open.

The beam was still headed straight for him, that much was clear, but it almost seemed like it was... being held back by something. Agent 8 stood up straight (he had been hunched over in defense) and realized that the scream from Pearl was what did it. It was like a fight, each side struggling to push each other back. Agent 8 watched in anticipation, his fists clenched so hard his nails made indents in his skin. There was a shred of hope rising that they could win, that everything would be alright. Even if Tartar's beam was stronger, it still seemed like Pearl had a fighting chance.

But then there's only so long a person can scream.

It started off subtle, the ink from Pearl's machine started to falter. Agent 8 waited nervously, expecting the ink to push back again. But it never did. In fact, it started to fall back even more. Agent looked over to Pearl and realized in horror that her yell was getting quieter... And quieter. She seemed to be struggling to try to get another burst of ink out of the machine. Agent 8 wondered how much longer she could go.

A sudden stop. Pearl was leaning against the bulky machine panting, Marina's (who was now standing) hand on her shoulder.

"We're not gonna make it!" Marina cried. She clutched one of Pearl's hand in her own.

They still had a fighting chance, but the only ink still battling for their side was a small amount from Pearl's last scream, and it was quickly deminishing. Agent 8's heart did a strange flip when he realized how close failure was. He was not looking forward to dying like this. 

"Hold on kids!" Cap'n Cuttlefish, who had been relatively silent, said. 

Agent 8 felt a rumble in the floor of the chopper. Knowing what would happen next, he hunched over clutching head, his eyes closed for the incoming impact. 

A sudden crash, the sensation of falling. "You fools! You should never have stood in my way! My victory was destined!"

It was the last thing Agent 8 heard.

**Author's Note:**

> Is it irrisponsible to be writing another chaptered story when I've already got a few w.i.ps? Yeah probably, but with all the adrenaline from figuring out about Splatoon 3 I knew I just had to get this idea out.


End file.
